Caroline and the Greeting Card Convention
by mitch1
Summary: Caroline, Del, and Richard attend a greeting card convention in Atlantic City for Cassidy Greeting Cards.
1. Caroline & the Greeting Card Convention

**Caroline and the Greeting Card Convention**

Written by Mitch

Email: mitch_work1@yahoo.com

Rating: PG

Genre: Humor/Drama

Chapters: 6

Summary: Caroline, Del, and Richard attend a greeting card convention in Atlantic City for Cassidy Greeting Cards.

Author's note: This story occurs during the first half of season 1. Caroline and Del are going together, but not engaged. Characters' thoughts are in _italics_.

Chapter 1

_"Atlantic City! Man, this is great! I gotta tell Caroline" _thought Del. So, he hopped into his beloved Porsche, drove down to Bleeker Street, managed to find a parking space, and entered her building. Too impatient to wait for the elevator, he bounded up the stairs and just walked through Caroline's apartment door. _"She never keeps it locked" _he noticed.

Del excitedly entered and saw Caroline and Richard sitting opposite each other at the partners desk. "Great news, Care! There's a greeting card convention this weekend" Del declared enthusiastically, as he approached Caroline and kissed her "hello".

"Why is that such great news, dear?" she asked.

"Because it's in Atlantic City, Cassidy Greeting Cards has a booth there, and anyone helping out will have all expenses paid, not to mention being paid for their time. Just think of it, Caroline, a free weekend in Atlantic City!"

"That sounds like fun!" she said, kissing Del again. "But wait a minute. What will we have to do? How much will we have to work?"

"Oh, not much, just a few hours on both Saturday and Sunday. And the hard work, putting up and tearing down the booth, will be done by the guys driving the truck with the stuff from the office. Care, all you have to do is smile, hand out flyers and free merchandise, talk with some fans, sign some cards, and maybe flirt with potential buyers a bit."

"Careful, Del. Maybe I'll find someone to replace you" Caroline kidded.

"Like **that's** gonna happen!" Del retorted, as they started smooching and groping and Caroline started giggling.

Richard rolled his eyes, thinking _"Why don't you two get a room?"_ Then he remembered _"Oh yeah… she has a room. Unfortunately, I'm in it."_

******

That Friday, Caroline and Richard were working, when a concerned Del entered her apartment.

Caroline smiled at him. "Hi Del. All ready and packed for our trip this evening?"

"Bad news, Caroline. There's a flu bug going around the office. Audrey and Trevor, two other cartoonists that were supposed to work the convention, won't be able to make it. We'll have to spend a lot more time working than we had planned."

"Can't anyone take their place?" Caroline asks.

"It'd be tough to find someone on such short notice. I mean, anyone can get and hand out cards. And I can handle schmoozing the buyers. But while the rest of the work is easy, not just anyone can do it. Fans will also be attending the convention, they expect to talk to someone that's part of the creative process."

"Oh…" a disappointed Caroline commented. "I guess we won't have as much time for fun as we hoped. That's okay."

Suddenly, Del got an idea. "Hey! Richard…?"

"Yes…?" Richard answered apprehensively.

"Technically, you're part of the 'creative process'. How would you like to go to Atlantic City this weekend?" Del asked.

"Now, why would I want to do that?" he asked, disdainfully.

"Oh c'mon, Richard! … You'll get paid for working the weekend! Meals and your room are free! And after work, you can gamble, drink, see shows – have fun all night long!"

"Del, Del" Caroline said, shaking her head at him, indicating he was taking the wrong approach with Richard. "Richard, you're always complaining that you're short of money, this is a chance to make a little extra. And after work, you can go to your room, order room service, and curl up with a good book, alone."

"Hmm… it would be nice to have a little extra money. Okay, I'll do it" Richard responded.

******

It was Friday evening. Del was happy as a clam, enjoying the two loves of his life, his Porsche and Caroline, during the two hour drive down the Garden State Parkway towards Atlantic City.

"Oh Del, we're gonna have so much fun tonight and tomorrow night. I've never been to Caesars Atlantic City before, is it a nice place?"

"Caroline, you're gonna love it. There're plenty of restaurants to choose from – fine dining, casual, bars and lounges. For entertainment, there's ballad singers and rockers, even a comedy act. The casino is **huge**. And since you don't enjoy gambling as much as I do, there's the Bellazza, a ritzy salon. Or there're plenty of places to shop – they even have an Andrew Geller."

"Shoes!" exclaimed Caroline.

"That's right! And if we can get away during the day, Caesars has its own private beach. Boy, I'm glad you convinced Richard to go, maybe we can check it out."

"You just have to know how to handle him" Caroline replied. Caroline got to thinking about Richard._ "That Richard – so dark, so cynical – always a sarcastic comment ready for any occasion. He complains about everything. And he's always putting his job and everyone around him down, like they're beneath him… But I know him – beneath that dark exterior lies a warm caring man. You just have to dig hard to get to it. When it really matters, he always helps out – even when he doesn't want to. He pretended to be my date the first night we met, so that Del wouldn't think I was a loser. He brought 100 dollars to the drug store to get me out of hot water for taking the condoms, even though he was entertaining a lady friend. And he accompanied me to visit that cute old couple, Vic and Stella, who used to own the partners desk. He's intelligent, he's got that tight ass, and without those glasses, he's kinda cute. And despite his repressed demeanor, he's a passionate man. I can tell by the way he talks about his art. Hmm…" _She shook her head, confused by her ambivalent feelings towards her assistant.

******

"Ohh!" Richard said, as he pushed the sleeping drunk next to him off his shoulder for the 50th time. He was definitely **not** enjoying the three hour bus ride to Atlantic City on Friday evening. Besides the drunk, Richard's attempts at reading were sabotaged by a scruffy young man in his 20's sitting behind him, listening to heavy metal tunes. _"My god, a deaf man could hear that boom box"_ he thought. Frustrated, Richard sighed. _"Why did I let Caroline talk me into going to this convention? She always seems to be able to get me to do what she wants. Why is that? I mean, her perkiness and optimism are irritating as hell, she meddles in my personal life, her apartment is chaos, people coming and going all the time, and her work is disorganized. I hate working for her. For the little money I make, I should just quit."_ Yet, though he often denigrated Caroline's simple art, he actually thought of her drawings' simplicity as elegant, not crude. At times, he thought that little cartoon Caroline showed some sharp insights into the human condition. And though he would never admit to it, he was actually somewhat proud of his role in producing it. Then Richard's thoughts turned to Caroline herself. _"She **is** pretty. I mean, if you like that 'girl next store' kind of look. And she's intelligent – not in book learning, but she has a curiosity about her, so that she always wants to know more about people and how and why things work. Hmm…"_ He shook his head, confused by his ambivalent feelings towards his boss.

******

Caesars was a shining example of the ambiguity that was Atlantic City. Set in the middle of a bustling modern day metropolis, it attempted to be an oasis of classical imperial Roman antiquity. A four story atrium with imported marble, flowing fountains, and a collection of classic sculptures set the tone. Though they started from different locations and at different times, Caroline, Del, and Richard arrived at Caesars at almost the same moment. And though they each had rooms on the same floor of the hotel, Caroline and Del never saw Richard that night, for they had very different plans before the greeting card convention that was to start on Saturday morning.

******

After finishing his room service dinner, Richard pondered what to do for the rest of the night. He picked up his book, but then decided to check out his alternatives first. _"Hmm..." _he thought. _"This room's TV can get the Comedy Central network...  'Comedy Central Presents' has some good stand up comics tonight." _To his acquaintances, Richard wouldn't seem the type to be interested in stand up comedy. Point in fact, he didn't care much for show business. For personal reasons, Richard particularly hated its affect on performers and their families. But ever since Ben, his father, had sometimes forced him into being his straight man for his routines, Richard had gotten into the habit of 'checking out the competition' whenever he could. And though they no longer were his competition, Richard had never broken himself of the habit. As Richard put his book down, he thought _"Well, I guess Monsieur Camus will have to wait."_

******

After some gambling, some shopping (by Caroline), a nice Chinese dinner, and a concert by one of Caroline's favorite old groups, Chicago, Caroline and Del arrived at Del's hotel room door.

"Hey, Duff - It's pretty convenient that we have rooms on the same floor, huh? You wanna come in for a quick nightcap?"

"Well, Del, it's been a pretty long day - I worked all day, it took us two hours to drive down here, and we had a pretty full evening. I'm tired."

"Aww, c'mon. Just one little drink? The prices are outrageous, but I'm sure the room's mini-bar will have something you like" Del pleaded. They both knew he had something else in mind.

_"Hmm... It **has **been awhile. And Del has been awfully sweet and attentive. I know the company paid for the dinner, but Del let me pick the show and had to spring for the concert himself. Maybe he deserves a little 'reward'."_

"Okay!" Caroline smiled.


	2. Caroline and the Greeting Card Conventio...

**Caroline and the Greeting Card Convention**

Chapter 2

Richard approached the Cassidy booth before the convention opened and found that Caroline and Del were already there.

Caroline greeted him "Hey, Richard! Funny we didn't run into you last night, we all have rooms on the same floor."

"Well, you wouldn't have, unless you happened to arrive at the exact same instant that I did. I went straight to my room and didn't leave. All I wanted to do was forget the horrible trip down here. I ordered room service and stayed in all night. I'm glad I had a good book."

"You were reading last night, Richard? Well, at least I hope it was something entertaining, like the latest Tom Clancy novel."

"Hardly" replied Richard, holding up his copy of Camus's "The Stranger".

"Well, Richard, we had a lotta fun last night. First we gambled a little in the casino. It's **huge**. I went shopping. They have some wonderful stores here! We ate a nice Chinese dinner at the Imperial Garden. Then we saw Chicago." Seeing Richard's blank stare, she added "You know, Chicago, the old rock group." After being met with the same blank stare, Caroline gave up. "Oh, never mind."

Del chimed in "Yeah… and then we really had some fun… in my room!"

"Oh, Del!" Caroline giggled and playfully hit his arm.

The greeting card convention was being held Saturday and Sunday in Caesars' spacious Palladium Ballroom. All the biggies of the industry were there – Hallmark, American Greetings, and Cassidy. Compared to the others, however, Cassidy was much less aggressive in its marketing. The Cassidy booth displayed life-sized cardboard cutouts of their staples – Caroline in the City, Flower Friends, and Sergeant Buck. They handed out free sample greeting cards, all labeled "Brought to you by Cassidy Greeting Cards" on the bottom. Hallmark and American Greetings also handed out free sample greeting cards. But instead of cardboard cutouts, Hallmark had people wearing Snoopy and Bugs Bunny costumes, while American Greetings had live Care Bears. Hallmark ran Bugs Bunny, Peanuts, and Road Runner cartoons in a continuous loop on monitors surrounding their booth. American Greetings did the same for Strawberry Shortcake and the Care Bears. And both displayed a plethora of products besides greeting cards to sell – mugs, wrapping paper, notepads, and little dolls. Attending the convention was a mixture of people. There were buyers, representing those that would carry the products – stationary stores, drug stores, and supermarkets – there to do business. Also crowding around the booths were fans of the cartoons, there to collect memorabilia and possibly meet the creators of their favorite strips and shows. Del's job consisted of schmoozing buyers. Caroline would also schmooze some, but she mainly talked and signed autographs for fans. Richard's job consisted mostly of handing out sample cards and getting products from the rear of the booth, behind a partition, making sure that there were enough for fans who wanted them and for Caroline to sign. Being a 'fellow artist', Richard also spelled Caroline at times when she tired (although fans complained they wanted a 'real' artist) or when Del and Caroline took off together to have some fun. Richard worked the whole time, preferring to make more money. There was nothing in Caesars, or in all of Atlantic City for that matter, that interested him.

******

While working the booth, Del saw a man approaching who appeared to be vaguely familiar.

"Del...? Del Cassidy…?" the man asked.

"Yes, I'm Del... I know you, I know your face, but I can't quite place you... college, right? Penn?"

"That's right! John Ambers, class of '86... Go Quakers! I was hoping to catch you at the convention. I'm sort of in the business now, I manage a group of stationary stores. I've heard of Cassidy Greeting Cards, of course, and was hoping you'd be here. What have you been doing since college?"

"Oh, nothing much. I met a couple of women, decided to give each of them a house and a chunk of my salary... had to marry and divorce each of them first. What have you been up to?"

"Oh, pretty much just concentrating on my career." Eyeing Caroline, John asked "And who is this lovely lady?"

"Oh, excuse me... John, this is Caroline Duffy. She's a big part of our Cassidy Greeting Cards family. She draws the "Caroline in the City" strip... Caroline, this is John Ambers, an old college buddy of mine."

Caroline smiled and shook his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"Same here. I'm a big fan a little Caroline, but I must say, you're much prettier… Hey Del, remember that frat party our sophomore year, with the three coeds..."

Del urgently gestured John to stop. "Ix-nay! Ix-nay on the arty-pay! Uh... did I forget to mention that Caroline is my girlfriend?" Del said with a forced smile, as he wrapped an arm around Caroline.

"Party, huh?" Caroline queried, curiously.

Del nervously replied "Uh... the reputation of those frat parties is greatly exaggerated, Care... Nothing ever really happened at them, just drinkin' and dancin'… Right, John?"

"Absolutely! ... Del, can we get away from here, maybe have some fun in the casino, while we talk some business and old times?"

"Care... do you mind? Can you and Richard handle things alone here?"

"Sure... Go, Del." She waved as they left. "Nice meeting you Mr. Ambers."

Once out of earshot, John asked Del "So, what's the story with you and this Caroline? If my memory serves me correctly, she's not the type of girl you usually go for."

Del replied "If by that, you mean she doesn't have the cassavas of my usual girlfriends, that's true. But let me tell you, once we hit the sack..."

"A real tiger, huh?" John asked.

"I'll say. With her Midwestern upbringing, you wouldn't think so. But I tell you, it's always the repressed ones... And she's funny, great fun to be with, intelligent…"

"What's she doing with you then?" John joked.

"Ha, ha, very funny... Our problem is, she seems to want a commitment. We've broken up and gotten back together three times already... Or is it four?"

"Commitment? From what you said, you don't seem to have a problem saying "I do"" John commented.

"Yeah, well, you know... twice burned... It's just that, I think I've almost used up my quota. I want to get it right this time" Del answered. "Hey, before we hit the casino, why don't we talk a little business? … So, John... just how many stationary stores do you manage? 'Cause we have some great products..."

******

Later at the Cassidy booth...

"Richard, the crowd is thinning out. Del's been gone a long time. I wanna go see how he's doing. Do you think you can handle the booth alone for awhile?" asked Caroline.

With mock panic, Richard answered "What?! Leave me alone here?! However will I manage?"

"Shut up…" she smirked. "I'll bring you back something, okay?" Caroline said as she started to leave.

"A reason for continued existence in this barren cartoon wasteland?" mumbled Richard.

Caroline turned her head. "What?"

"Nothing" replied Richard.

……

Caroline went to find Del in Caesars' casino. It wouldn't be an easy task. It had a large Keno area, several scores of gaming tables, and thousands of slot machines. Like all casinos, everything was laid out so that gamblers would have to spend the longest possible time passing by the flashing lights and sounds of the slot machines and the action of the tables, to subject them to the maximum amount of temptation. After wandering around a bit, Caroline finally saw him, at a distance. But instead of being with his old college buddy, Del was gambling at a craps table and talking to a busty blond cocktail waitress. Del was flirting with her, of course. He wouldn't be Del, otherwise. Caroline saw Del flash some money, also. No harm there. Drinks were free for gamblers, casinos having learned that "free" drinks more than paid for themselves in increased losses by gamblers. But Del always gave a tip, especially to a pretty girl. It's when he got out a pen and started writing on the twenty dollar bill that she decided to intervene…

Just as Del had finished writing and handed the twenty to the waitress, Caroline approached.

"Hi Del. What happened to John and who is this?" Caroline asked sweetly.

Del quickly put his pen away and guiltily answered "Uh… John went off to play blackjack for awhile, he's coming back. Things are looking good, I think he's gonna carry our cards! ... Her…? She's nobody special, just a waitress."

"Well, she must be someone special…" Caroline retorted. In a surprise move, Caroline snatched the bill from the waitress and examined it. "… for you to give her a twenty dollar bill with your hotel room number on it." Caroline smiled questioningly at Del.

Just then, a celebratory cheer was raised from the craps table. The shooter had just made his point.

Del was really sweating and used the brief additional time to come up with "Uh… actually, I wanted to surprise you. This is… my cousin. My cousin... uh… uh…"

"Donna" interjected the waitress.

"…Donna" concluded Del. He completed the introductions "Donna, this is my girlfriend Caroline."

"Pleased to meet you" Donna said.

"Likewise" said Caroline.

"Del… your cousin Donna, huh? Funny, you never mentioned her before."

"Uh… yeah. Well… that's because she's not a first cousin. She's a distant cousin. **Very** distant. We don't keep in touch much. In fact, I didn't know that Donna worked here, until today."

With a forced smile, Caroline shook Donna's hand. "Well, Donna, I'm always happy to meet part of Del's family." Then she got an idea of how to get back at Del, by making him squirm after the convention was done for the day. "Donna, since you two haven't seen each other for so long, I'm sure he'd like you to get together with us tonight. Why else would he have given you his room number? We're going out for an expensive dinner at Primavera and going to see a great show afterwards."

Just then, another cheer rang out from the craps table.

This helped to distract Caroline. Unknown to her, Del stood behind her, frantically gesturing to Donna. As Caroline tried to tempt Donna, he shook his head, waving money at Donna for her not to join them. As Caroline went on, Del continued to shake his head and to add even more money.

Caroline continued "Our expenses are being picked up by the company. Since Del is president, I'm sure he won't mind if the expense report is fudged a little, to include you, right dear?" Del gulped and nodded. "Won't you join us?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm working. Maybe some other time" Donna replied.

Del breathed a sigh of relief, but Caroline noticed the wad of money in his hand. "Del, why are you holding out all that money?" she inquired.

"Oh, I just wanted to bet more money. This shooter's really on a roll." Amazingly, the shooter had thrown 22 straight rolls without crapping out, making his point three times. Del also had doubled his money three times, since he had bet with the shooter. 

"Anyway, that's really a shame, Donna. Say hello to Aunt Mabel for me" Del said as he surreptitiously handed Donna the money.

"Sure thing" Donna said. She then gave Del a long French kiss, before turning and leaving behind a nonplussed Del. "Bye, cousin" she purred.

"Uh... we're a close family" Del explained to Caroline. "Honey, I still have some money on the table here. Once I'm done here, I'll go find John and finish up our business."

"Okay, I'm gonna go back to the booth and help Richard. Swing by as soon as you can" responded Caroline, as she turned to go.

……

_"Darn!"_ Caroline thought. _"I was really looking forward to seeing Del sweat, when we went out together with his 'cousin'. I thought for sure she'd agree to go with us for a free dinner and show." _Despite her time in the Big Apple, Caroline's Midwestern upbringing gave her a trusting nature – that is, it took a little longer for her to realize when someone was deceiving her. _"Oh, man…! That money… Del was bribing her!"_ After that, Caroline's thoughts turned to one thing – Revenge!

_"Hmm… I've got to think of some way to get even with him."_ As she approached the Cassidy Greeting Cards booth, she looked up, saw Richard, and began to form a plan…


	3. Caroline and the Greeting Card Conventio...

**Caroline and the Greeting Card Convention**

Chapter 3

Caroline was preoccupied when she got back to the Cassidy booth at the convention. _"That low down, good for nothing Del Cassidy! Making plans to two-time me, huh? I'll teach him to mess with Caroline Duffy! If I can work things out, I'll give him double trouble!"_

"Hi, Caroline… did you find Del?"

"What…?"

"You went to find Del… did you find him?"

"Yes I did, Richard."

"I see you forgot to bring me back anything. Oh well, I can see the headlines now - "Starving Artist Found Dead on Caesars' Convention Floor"".

"Oh Richard, I'm sorry. Please let me make it up to you. Del and I are having dinner at Primavera, this great Italian restaurant in the hotel, why don't you join us?"

"Oh, I don't know…"

"C'mon, Richard, it'll be a lot better than room service. Please say yes."

"Oh, alright" Richard agreed reluctantly.

"After dinner, we're going out to the Tropicana. Seinfeld is playing at The Comedy Stop tonight. I'm sure Del could finagle an extra ticket for you, Richard."

"Hmm… Seinfeld is actually pretty intelligent for a comedian. But isn't he busy doing his TV show?"

"I hear he likes to keep sharp by performing live. Please come with us, Richard."

"I'd like to… but won't I be the odd man out? I mean, with me around, won't you and Del feel constrained? … Not that you do, any other time I'm around… Besides, I have a good book to finish."

"Nonsense, Richard. And you can finish that old book anytime. How often will you get a chance to see Seinfeld live?" Still sensing his reluctance, she added "And I can make it worth your while. I mean, being stuck with your coworkers after hours, naturally I'd pay for your time."

Wary, Richard tested Caroline. "Hmm… I don't know Caroline… I've been here since ten, that would be a long day… Normally, I'm paid double for overtime."

Caroline gulped "Uh… okay."

"Okay, what's going on?" Richard asked suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" Caroline tried to answer innocently.

"Why are you going to pay me double time to go out to dinner and see a show with you and Del?"

"Oh Richard… you're right… I caught Del flirting with a waitress, trying to two-time me. I want to get even by making him jealous."

"You think Del could be jealous… of me?" Richard asked incredulously.

"Well, I can be very convincing." On those words, Caroline pulled Richard's head towards hers and gave him a kiss, full on the lips, for several seconds.

Richard was so stunned, he didn't return the kiss. Even so, he was greatly affected. Richard (and 'little Richard') began to think of Caroline in an entirely new light. "Uh… okay" was all Richard could muster out. After regaining his composure, he added "As long it's for a good cause, you don't have to pay me… double the rate that is."

Upon obtaining Richard's agreement, Caroline smiled devilishly.

******

_"Alright!"_ thought Caroline. _"One piece of my plan is in place. Now, it's time to get another."_

Caroline returned to the casino area of Caesars and found a bar along the side. She walked up to it and started talking to the bartender. "Hi. I'm looking for a cocktail waitress named Donna."

"Donna…? Yeah… I sent her with a bunch of drinks over to the Keno area." He pointed it out. "Over there."

Caroline walked over and found Donna. "Hi, Donna. Remember me? I'm Del's girlfriend."

Donna turned around and answered "Oh yeah... Caroline, right? You're lucky, 'cousin' Del is quite the charmer."

"Listen Donna, I know you're not Del's cousin."

"Darn! I knew I should've continued those acting classes after high school!"

"I also figured out he bribed you to pretend you're his cousin. Let's cut to the chase – how would you like to pretend differently for twice as much money?"

"I'm all ears."

"Okay, here's the plan…"

No one, not even Caroline, had ever imagined the depth of the deviousness of which she was capable!

(At this point, the sinister laugh of Dr. Evil can be heard in the background.)


	4. Caroline and the Greeting Card Conventio...

**Caroline and the Greeting Card Convention**

Chapter 4

Primavera is a fine dining establishment within Caesars, serving both Northern and Southern Italian specialties. An exclusive place, only open from 8-11 Fridays through Tuesdays, they had made reservations for nine, so they wouldn't have to wait too long between dinner and the show at The Comedy Stop, which began at 11:15. Del was wearing a suit. Caroline had gone shopping and had bought a tasteful, elegant, yet especially revealing dress for the occasion. When they arrived, they passed through the Garden of the Gods, a pool complex surrounding the entire restaurant. Her first time here, Caroline looked around. The décor was in a pistachio green and bright pink color scheme. Every table featured fan-back chairs. The maitre 'd showed them to a table surrounded by four fan-back chairs.

After they were seated, Del commented "Wow! You look great tonight, Caroline!"

"Why thank you, Del" she smiled. _"You two-timing rat!"_

Then he remarked "Doesn't this seem a little large for the two of us?"

Just then, Donna, Del's 'cousin' arrived. Caroline remarked "Oh... Did I forget to mention? I ran into Donna and was able to talk her into joining us."

_"Uh-oh" _thought Del, forcing a smile, as Donna seated herself to Del's right.

Right afterwards, Richard also appeared. Caroline added "Oh... I also invited Richard. We don't want to have an odd number for dinner".

"Hi Del, Caroline... Oh, you must be Del's cousin, Donna. Hi, I'm Richard Karinsky" Richard introduced himself, as he seated himself between the two women, facing Del.

After ordering, Donna started flirting with Del. Under the table, she rested her hand on Del's knee, then started playing footsie. Del, being Del, started to respond.

_"Oh Del" _Caroline inwardly giggled. _"I knew it wouldn't be too long before 'little Del' took over... Alright Caroline! Grim up! Scowl! Here we go..."_

"Oww...!" Del yelped, as Caroline gave him a swift, sharp kick under the table to his left shin. "Caroline, why did you... oh."

Embarrassed, Del whispered in Donna's ear "Donna, you'd better cool it. Normally, I'd love this, but my girlfriend's here... What are you doing here anyway?"

Donna whispered back "I'm sorry Del. I ran into Caroline and she backed me into a corner. I couldn't get out of it... And as for now, you just ooze so much charm, I can't help myself when you're around."

Flattered, Del leaned towards Donna and began to whisper back "Yeah, well..."

"Hey!" Caroline, pretending annoyance with the whispering, glared at Del, warning him of another kick. Del quickly leaned away from Donna.

Pretending to try to lower the tension, but actually wanting to make Del sweat about his relationship with his 'cousin', Caroline asked "So, how exactly are you two related?"

Del and Donna both hesitated, each waiting for the other to answer. Both, hearing no answer from the other, spoke at once. "My mother and Donna's mother are cousins" said Del, while Donna responded "My mother and Del's father are cousins".

With his usual dry wit, Richard softly rejoined "So… that explains it… inbreeding."

As Caroline giggled and Richard softly chuckled, Del politely laughed, but thought _"I don't get it"_.

......

After dinner, Donna again started making a play for Del. She started playing footsie again, then put her hand on Del's right knee... and started moving upward...

_"Oh, Mama!"_Del thought, as he turned and smiled at Donna.

"Oww!" Del yelped, as Caroline gave him a second kick to the shin. _"Man, this is fun!" _Caroline gleefully thought, as she put on her best scowl for Del. _"Alright, time for phase two" _she thought, as she turned and reached out to touch Richard's hand.

The effect of that slight touch on Richard was electric. He had been thinking about their earlier kiss for hours.

Trying to look as if she were whispering sweet nothings into his ear, Caroline whispered "How do you think it's going?"

Struggling to control himself, Richard choked out "Fine".

"Get ready for more" Caroline giggled. She started playing her own game of footsie, then placed her hand on his right knee.

_"God, I hope she doesn't go any higher. She's bound to notice how aroused I am" _thought Richard.

Their waiter approached and asked "Dessert, anyone?"

"I think I'm ready for dessert right now. Aren't you Richard?" Then Caroline whispered in his ear "Get ready for a kiss."

Caroline kissed Richard, but was not prepared for the response. Richard had been stewing over their last kiss for hours, about how he hadn't responded. Over and over in his mind, he had been thinking about what he would do if he got a second chance.

_"Mmm… Wow…!" _a surprised Caroline thought. _"Mmm… Richard…?! This is Richard…?! What's going on…? Mmm… Oh, he must just be trying to make it look good, I know he doesn't care for __Del.__ Mmm… I don't care what the reason is, this feels great! I'm goin' for some tongue!"_

Del told the waiter, who was watching the scene "Uhh... no dessert, thanks. And please, just charge the meal to my room, okay?" The waiter nodded as he left.

Del thought _"Man, this is getting out of hand. I thought Caroline was just trying to get back at me for Donna, with the closest man around. But now… I'm not so sure. I'd better do something, quick!"_

Del turned to Donna "Hey cousin, it's been great seeing you again. But..." Del pulled out an envelope from his inside coat pocket "... Caroline and I have to go to the Tropicana. We have these tickets to see Seinfeld's act. It's less than a couple of miles away, but it starts pretty soon, so we'd better be going."

Caroline smiled mischievously _"Man, phase three is gonna be even easier than I thought." _After Donna's agreement to go along with her plan, instead of getting a third ticket to see Seinfeld for Richard, she had planned to go with Richard **instead **of with Del. _"I was gonna demand the tickets from Del. But now..."_

Caroline snatched the envelope that Del was showing to Donna. "Del... you haven't seen your cousin in such a long time. And you two seem to be getting along **so **well together. 'Cousins' seem to do that in your family. Why don't you spend more time with her? Richard can accompany me to The Comedy Stop. You don't mind, do you Richard?"

"Uh... no. I like Seinfeld" Richard responded.

"Good. It's settled" smiled Caroline.

Del looked at Caroline, turned to Donna, then back to Caroline and sighed. "Alright. Let's go."

As they left, Caroline purposely put her arm in Richard's. _"Man" _she thought. _"I know Richard has a tight ass. I never noticed before what nice biceps he has."_

******

Caroline and Richard were seated at a table at The Comedy Stop in the Tropicana hotel. It had the atmosphere of an intimate lounge, conducive to interaction between performer and audience. Both Caroline and Richard detested the fact the 11:15 show was a 'smoking' performance, but it couldn't be helped. The earlier 'non-smoking' performance had conflicted with their dinner reservations. Three comedians appeared in every show and Jerry Seinfeld was the headliner that night. Being the headliner, he was scheduled to appear last. Caroline and Richard were conversing prior to the first comedian's appearance.

"Caroline, I want to thank you for inviting me to watch Seinfeld perform. I really enjoy his humor."

"You're welcome, Richard. Besides" Caroline giggled, "Del paid for our tickets… Richard, if you don't mind me asking,… Besides sarcasm, your sense of humor, seems a bit, uh…"

"Nonexistent?"

"Well, I was going to say 'underdeveloped', but yeah… Anyway, I'm surprised that you enjoy stand up comedy, it seems so unlike you."

"Well Caroline, 'enjoy' might be a bit strong… let's just say I developed a taste for it when I was younger, due to uh… circumstances."

When Caroline raised a questioning eyebrow at him, Richard replied "I don't care to talk about it."

"Okay Richard, I don't want to pry." On those words, Richard gagged slightly, 'cause he knew that Caroline **loved** to pry into other people's business. Caroline scanned the back of the room, then quickly snapped her head forward and whispered to Richard "Richard! Eyes front! I just saw Del in the back of the room." Phase three of Caroline's plan was in operation. Making Del jealous in the restaurant, she planned to have him follow them to The Comedy Stop, to spy on herself and Richard. Just in case Del didn't think of it, she would have Donna subtly 'suggest' it. _"Great!"_ Caroline thought. _"Del may be unsure if we were acting in the restaurant, but now he'll think he's seeing the 'real' story – hah!"_

"Okay Richard, we're up. Don't forget – this time we want to act more natural, as if we're two people who care for each other, out to enjoy a show. Not the 'in your face' stuff we showed Del in the restaurant." _"Although"_ thought Caroline _"I have to admit – I really enjoyed that."_

Caroline scooched her chair closer to Richard's. Caroline gave a quick head gesture, Richard put his arm around her, and she snuggled in close. _"I don't have to act"_ thought Richard. _"Who'd of thought – certainly not me, even yesterday – that I – I – I like Caroline?"_ With his arm, he brought Caroline in closer.

Caroline looked up and grinned at Richard. "Are you comfortable?" she asked. Richard nodded. _"This feels nice"_ thought Caroline. _"Richard has a nice body. And back in the restaurant, that kiss…?"_

Del tried to be as inconspicuous as he could in the intimate space, sitting as far away from Caroline and Richard as possible, hiding most of his face with his hand. As Del 'secretly' spied on the two lovebirds, he thought _"Oh man! Well, at least they're not kissing. But in some ways, this is even worse! I gotta do something!"_ Del hurried out to the lobby to place a phone call to Caesars' concierge. _"I hope this works"_ he thought.

******

The hotel elevator reached the floor of Caroline, Richard, and Del's rooms. Caroline and Richard got off and stopped by her door.

"Well Richard, I want to thank you. You did a really great job."

"Caroline, any time you want to pay someone to eat at a great restaurant, then go out and see one of America's top comics, just give me a call" he quipped. "Actually, the best part for me was, I think it actually caused Del some pain."

"I hope so… I had to practice those kicks!" Caroline grinned. They gazed at each other awkwardly, then Caroline added "Well, thanks again, Richard. I'll see you at the booth tomorrow."

Richard turned to go, as Caroline inserted her key card in her door. As she opened it, she gasped and shouted "Richard, come here! You have to see this!"

Richard entered Caroline's room just behind her and beheld red roses strewn in several locations throughout the room. "Look!" cried Caroline. "There's a card with the roses on the bed!" She opened it and read

"Care,

Can you ever forgive me for being such an idiot?

Please, let's make up tomorrow.

Love, 

          Del"

Caroline fairly glowed. "This is so sweet!" Then she triumphantly threw her arms up in the air. "Yes!! My plan actually worked! C'mon, Richard, let's celebrate!"

Richard was actually somewhat disappointed. "Oh, I don't know Caroline…"

"Oh, c'mon! One toast. Get a bottle of champagne out of the mini-bar and open it. I'll get some glasses."

"Oh, alright" Richard muttered. Richard got the champagne out and inserted the corkscrew. But when he popped the cork, champagne gushed all over his suit and Caroline's dress. "Oh, damn!" Richard swore.

"Oh, Richard. I can see you don't have much experience with champagne" Caroline giggled. "It's no big deal." She went to the closet, fished out two complimentary bathrobes provided by the hotel, and tossed one to Richard. "Here. Go take a shower. We're on the same floor, you can walk to your room in this robe. And throw your wet clothes out the bathroom door before you turn on the water. I'll call down for the hotel to pick up a rush dry cleaning job. Cassidy Greetings will pay. Our clothes'll be ready before the convention ends tomorrow."

"Okay" Richard replied, as he entered Caroline's bathroom.

Later, Richard was showering, having already thrown out his clothes. Caroline had also undressed, wearing just the robe. As Caroline waited, she looked around the room, still amazed by the roses. Then she heard a knock on the door. Unlike at her loft, she had locked and chained it – she had heard stories about hotels. Caroline opened the door a crack and saw a bellhop.

"I'm from the hotel, ma'am. You have a rush dry cleaning job?"

"Yes, just a second." She picked up the plastic bags provided for hotel laundry, unchained the door, and handed them to the bellhop. "Now, I've marked on the ticket that we will have already checked out by the time these are ready and that they should be delivered to the front desk. We'll pick them up before we leave the convention tomorrow. And here" Caroline said, as she handed the bellhop a tip.

"Thank you, ma'am" the bellhop said as he departed.

_"'Ma'am'.__ I don't know that I like that. Makes me feel old"_ thought Caroline as she rechained the door.

A few seconds later, Caroline heard another knock on the door. _"Must be the bellhop.__ He probably forgot something."_ Caroline opened the door a crack.

"Del!"


	5. Caroline and the Greeting Card Conventio...

**Caroline and the Greeting Card Convention**

Chapter 5

"Del!" Caroline exclaimed. She was surprised to see him there, to say the least. Del's note had said that he wanted to make up with her - but on the next day.

In his most repentant voice, Del said "Sorry, Care. I couldn't wait. Can I come in?"

"Oh Del – I'd prefer you didn't."

"Caroline, I can see you're about ready for bed. But don't be embarrassed about wearing only a robe. I've seen you naked, remember?"

Caroline nervously looked back at her bathroom door and answered "Uh… Del. Can't it wait until morning?"

"Caroline, please don't say you're still mad. Did you get my flowers?"

"Yes, Del. Thank you, they're beautiful. That was so sweet of you. But…"

"Oh Caroline, I'd really like to talk to you alone, now. I don't want to talk with all those other people around at the convention. Can't I please come in – just to talk, I swear."

At that moment, Richard emerged from the bathroom, wearing only the complimentary robe.

Hearing some noises, Del became suspicious. "Is somebody else in there?" he asked accusingly.

Richard, unaware of the situation, started to speak "Caroline, I didn't want to dry myself with the same towels you had used before. I think they forgot to provide extra ones…"

"Aha! I knew it! You and Richard...! I can't believe what a fool I've been!" Del cried angrily, then stormed off.

Caroline fumbled with the chain. "Del…!! Wait…!! Let me explain!!"

After fumbling with the hotel door chain for what seemed like an eternity, Caroline finally got it unlatched. She ran out the door, chasing after Del, finally catching him at the elevator.

"Del…!! Del…!! Please let me explain!!"

Del put his hands before him, gesturing Caroline to stop. "Caroline, I'm mad and disappointed right now. I thought we had something. Anything you say right now is just gonna make me madder. Give me some time to cool down and think about things. I'm going down to the casino."

"But Del…"

Just then, the elevator arrived. "Tomorrow, Caroline… tomorrow" Del said firmly, as he got on the elevator and left.

Caroline, tears streaming down her face, slowly walked back to her room. She didn't want to break up with Del, not like this. Oh, she had broken up with Del before – several times. But it had never been acrimonious, they had always remained friends. She and Del always enjoyed being together, always had fun. The problem came when Caroline felt she wanted something more, then Del backed away. But they always seemed drawn together again. Never had a breakup involved betrayal – although Del had several near misses.

When Richard had emerged from the bathroom, still somewhat wet, he had been confused at first. Since Caroline had left, Richard had just stood there, not knowing what to do. When he saw Caroline reenter, tears running down her face, he asked "Del…?"

"Y – Y – Yes" Caroline sniffed.

A part of Richard wanted just to flee the room. Because of his miserable childhood and unhappy experiences with romance, Richard was always nervous and insecure about strong emotions – in anyone around him, but especially his own. Richard had erected elaborate verbal defenses around himself – ready to zing anyone who came too close.

Another part of Richard, the part whose feelings for Caroline had just been awakened, wanted to shout "Hooray!" Part of him wanted to tell her that she should be happy that Del may be gone, that he wasn't right for her. Del wasn't the intellectual or emotional match for Caroline – **he** was. As much as Del might like or even care for Caroline, he would never really understand her. Richard did. Sometimes he would know what she was going to say before she even said it. How could you love a woman, if you didn't understand her?

But it was a third part of Richard that elbowed its way in front of the other two. The part that was Caroline's friend. The part that went along when she needed company, the part that helped her out, even with crazy schemes – the part that was going to console her now.

"Oh Richard" Caroline sniffed. "It's – it's – it's all my fault. I – I – I came up with this crazy plan and now Del and I might break up."

Richard put his arms around Caroline and let her cry on his shoulder. "There, there, there… Del will be calmer in the morning, you'll explain things to him, everything will be alright… I mean, you and me…? No one would believe that, right…? He'll listen… You'll see, things will be fine tomorrow."

Richard led Caroline to the bed, brushed off some roses, and told her "Why don't you lie down? I'll get you something to drink… something other than champagne."

"Thank you, Richard. I will" Caroline said as she laid down on the bed.

Richard went to the mini-bar, got a bottle, and poured a couple of drinks. He handed one to Caroline, who sat up to drink it, and said "Aren't we the pair? You, alone in a bed strewn with roses from your boyfriend, reeking of champagne. And me, standing here, still dripping. Both of us wearing nothing but bathrobes, drinking." After that elicited a small chuckle from Caroline, Richard continued "You know, everything's going to turn out okay. Del will come around. Some day, we'll all look back at this night and laugh… I know I will. Your plan, although ill advised, was quite entertaining."

"It **was** fun, wasn't it?" Caroline said, smiling weakly.

For a moment, their eyes locked. Though they had been referring to the pain and embarrassment inflicted on Del, they both then started recalling their "play" kissing and cuddling. Then…

Richard cleared his throat. "I guess I should be going, before I turn into a prune" he chuckled.

The moment broken, Caroline agreed. "Okay. Thank you, Richard. You really helped. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right. See you at the booth" Richard said, as he put down his drink and left.

******

The next day was awkward, to say the least.

Caroline tried to explain. "Del, I'm really sorry about last night. It was all a stupid scheme that backfired. What happened at Primavera was all a show, just to make you jealous. I knew that Donna wasn't your cousin, I wanted to get even."

"I thought that might be the case. But then I saw you two at The Comedy Stop. I was spying on you there. You seemed pretty snug."

"That was part of the plan too, Del."

"How could it be? I was the one that thought up getting my own extra ticket to Seinfeld and spying on you."

"I thought you might. But just in case, Donna was going to suggest it."

"Donna was part of this, too?"

"What did you think?"

His ego somewhat deflated, Del replied "I just thought… that she liked me.

"Well, part of my plan worked. You're kinda cute when you're jealous. And all those roses, that was so sweet…" Caroline reached out with her hand and tenderly touched Del's cheek.

But Del was still angry. He returned to the argument. "Why were you both in your room and out of your clothes?"

"We were celebrating the success of my plan, but Richard spilled champagne everywhere. We were just getting cleaned up. Please Del, you have to believe me, nothing happened."

"I have to think about it… Let's get to work."

The Cassidy Greeting Cards booth was not that large. Caroline, Del and Richard tried to avoid each other, but it wasn't that easy. Whenever possible, one of them would take a break, just to get away. Richard tried mostly staying in back, behind the partition, emerging with more cards only when he had to. Del and Caroline moved as far away from each other as they could in the front of the booth. Del forced himself into his usual charming demeanor with clients and Caroline's smile was forced as she autographed cards for fans.

After a couple of hours, Del announced "Caroline, I just have to get away from you… from here… for awhile… I'll be back in a bit." With that, he left.

……

Awhile later, Del returned with two sandwiches, handing one to Caroline. "Here. I thought you might be hungry."

"Thanks Del. Does this mean you believe me?"

"I'm not sure that I believe you yet, Caroline. But I do want to work things out."

"Okay, Del. That's a start."

"Just one thing – I want you to fire Richard."

"What??!!"

"Oh, c'mon, Caroline! You said he told you himself, he hates his job! And it's not like he'd be taking a huge pay cut to work elsewhere! You'd probably be doing him a favor."

"Del, I told you – nothing happened! It was all just a big misunderstanding. You've got to believe me!"

"Caroline, I don't know yet whether I believe you or not. But even if I did, I just don't trust that Richard… He's a guy, Caroline. I know how guys think. I saw you two kissing at Primavera last night. Play acting or not, Richard's gotten a taste of 'Sweet Caroline', he's gonna want more. I just don't think I'd feel comfortable with you two working so closely together every day."

"Del, I can understand how you feel, but…"

"Caroline, who's it gonna be? A geeky, stuck up egghead who insults you, your work, and your friends every chance he gets, or me, a guy who really cares about you?"

Caroline had a decision to make…


	6. Caroline and the Greeting Card Conventio...

**Caroline and the Greeting Card Convention**

Chapter 6

Caroline had a dilemma – fire her friend Richard or break up with her boyfriend Del. _"I like Del. I mean, yeah, he's my boyfriend. But he's also one of my best friends. Easy going, generous, charming – I can always count on him for fun and to satisfy me physically."_ Caroline sighed _"All because my childish plan to make Del jealous worked too well, he's demanding that I fire Richard… I can even understand Del's point of view – he thinks that Richard and I have feelings for each other (Hah!) and can't stand the thought of us working together so closely, day after day."_

_"And what about Richard?__ He hates the work – he thinks it's beneath him. He always complains about the 'chaotic conditions' at my apartment – which I think are just normal. And he always complains that I meddle in his business – can't he see I'm just trying to help because I care? That's what friends do. He would probably be happier if I just gave him a generous severance check and asked him to leave. Still…" _

Caroline made a decision. "Del, I like you, I really do. But, if we're gonna be a couple, you have to trust me when I say that I'm telling you the truth. Richard and I do not have feelings for each other. It was all part of a stupid plan to get even with you. I know you're jealous, but I can't fire Richard. He's a friend, he was just doing me a favor by helping me with my stupid plan. If you're the kind of man that would have someone lose their job for that, then I can't be with you anymore." With that, Caroline left the booth in a huff, mingling into the crowd of the convention.

Del just stood there, frozen, thunderstruck by Caroline's unexpected decision. Richard had been in back, behind the partition, gathering cards to bring out front, and had overheard everything.

_"Wow…!"_ Richard thought.Richard decided to go out to confront Del.

Meanwhile, Caroline had not walked very far, before she thought _"I can't leave things like this. I have to go back and talk to Del. Whether we remain a couple or not, I still want us to remain friends."_ Turning back, she saw Richard approaching Del. Not wanting to interrupt, she approached the booth from behind, where she could hear the conversation, but not be seen.

Richard tapped Del on the shoulder. He turned and Richard could see that he was still angry. Fortifying himself mentally, Richard spoke. "Del, I know you're mad at me. But, whether you believe it or not, nothing did happen between Caroline and I in her room last night. I wouldn't do that with another guy's girl. I have to admit, I did enjoy trying to make you jealous last night. And I know I insult you a lot. But despite that, I do think you're a pretty good guy. You shouldn't break up with Caroline over me. Sometimes I think that you don't realize how lucky you are. Caroline, she's… she's really very special. This whole thing was my fault. Caroline came back to the booth yesterday, crying about something you did and I was the one that came up with this hare-brained scheme to make you jealous. I don't want to be the one to come between you two. I'll tell Caroline that I'm quitting."

After awhile, Del replied "You guys… my head is spinning. I have to get away and think about this." With that, Del walked away. Caroline emerged, wanting to talk with them both, but she was too late to catch Del.

******

Wanting to clear his head, Del headed for the casino area and stopped by a bar along its side. He sat and ordered a drink from the bartender, an older, avuncular type, friendly, and knowing of the ways of the world. "Martini on the rocks, please."

"Sure thing, bub." It took him only a few seconds to mix the drink. "Here you go."

Del eyed the bartender's name tag. "Uh… Tom. Mind if I bend your ear awhile?"

"Sure thing, bub. I ain't busy now. What's on your mind?"

"Thanks. My name's Del. I've got this girl…"

"Oh boy…"

"Yeah, I bet you've never heard that before."

"Del, if every guy that said that gave me a penny, I'd be a rich man… But go on."

"Thanks, Tom… Like I said, I've got this girl, her name is Caroline. I was sorta a jerk and to get back at me, she did some things to make me jealous… or so she claims. Thing is, I caught her later with this guy in her room and they had taken off their clothes."

"Oh…?" Tom arched an eyebrow.

"No, not like that. They were both wearing robes… Anyway, she claims it was all innocent, that they were celebrating making me jealous and champagne spilled all over them."

"Seems mighty coincidental" Tom commented.

"Mighty suspicious, I thought. But then I thought, despite the coincidences, maybe she's telling the truth. I'm not sure."

"You still like her, Del?"

"Yeah… that's the thing. She's pretty, she's intelligent, she's funny, she's fun to be with – what's not to like?"

"You trust her?" Tom asked

Del sighed. "Yeah… I'm not certain, but I think I do."

"Then what's the problem? Is it this Romeo? Is he God's gift to women? Is he rich? Is he a smooth operator?"

Del chuckled. "No. Just the opposite. He wears these glasses, looks like a geek. He's poorer than a dormouse, not a penny to his name. I could buy and sell him a hundred times over. As for being a smooth talker, he does his best to push people away."

"Sounds like he's no threat."

"That's just it, Tom. When they were 'acting', they kissed with such passion, there had to be something to it. But he swears there wasn't, that everything was innocent."

"And you believe him?"

"That's just it, Tom. I don't like him at all, but I trust him. He seems like a stand up guy, swears he'd never move in on another guy's girl."

"So what's the problem?"

"The problem is… where there's smoke, there's fire. That kiss… may have started out innocently, but maybe it sparked something… I mean, this guy, Richard… he may be poor and standoffish, but he's got that 'tortured artist' thing going for him that some women like... And he seems to click with Caroline, in a way I never can. I mean, they laugh at jokes and I can't figure out what they're talking about. I've bonked Caroline, shared intimate moments with her, but **he** can tell **me** what she's thinking."

"Sounds like that may be trouble for you, down the road, Del."

"Yeah."

"Is she worth it?"

"Yeah… I think so, Tom. Yeah."

"Then it's simple, Del. If you like her and she's worth it, then you gotta fight for her."

"Yeah… yeah… Thanks, Tom." Del slapped a twenty on the bar. "Keep the change."

As Del walked back to the Cassidy booth, he pondered how to gracefully back off from the ultimatum he had issued Caroline, so that he could win her back. For the first time, seeing Richard as a potential rival, he wondered how he could keep him and Caroline apart – after all, they did work together every day. Then he hit upon it – Confidence!

Some would call Del Cassidy a shallow man – well, because he is. But his many romantic encounters and rivalries had taught him a few things. He would joke that one of the reasons that he owned a Porsche was that some women were drawn to it. But at some level, he understood that it wasn't so much the Porsche that the women were drawn to, and thus the man, but the confidence that the "Porsche"-man exuded. _"If I appear so comfortable, so confident that Richard is no threat, then I can afford to be magna-… magnan-… charitable and 'apologize' for thinking something so ridiculous. And if I plant the seed of an idea that their coupling is ridiculous, maybe it will never happen."_

******

Meanwhile, back at the Cassidy booth…

"Richard…!"

"Caroline…?"

"I heard what you said Richard. That was really sweet, taking the blame and offering to quit for me. And those things you said about me… Do you really think I'm special?"

Embarrassed, Richard quipped "I said you were 'special', Caroline. I didn't say in what way."

Caroline smirked "Well Richard… I just want to say I really appreciate it."

"It's nothing, really… You – you stood up… for **me**! No one's ever done that for me before. Thank you."

As they gazed into each other's eyes, Caroline replied "Richard, you're my friend. I would do that for any friend." And just as their friendship was about to develop into something more…

Del returned, interrupted their 'moment' and spoke to them. "You guys… I'm so sorry. I should have realized that this was only a scheme to make me jealous… I mean, this is **Richard**! He probably charged you double time for last night!" Del laughed, while Caroline and Richard also forced out some laughter. "Care, can you forgive me for putting you in this spot?"

"Well Del, I really didn't appreciate having to choose between my friendship with Richard and my relationship with you… but on the other hand, I sorta liked that you got jealous."

Del continued "And Richard, I'm sorry for trying to get you fired."

"Don't be sorry. You may have been doing me a favor" Richard replied.

"Friends, everyone?" Del asked.

Caroline put an arm around both of them and said "There's enough blame to go around for everybody. Let's get back to work and forget this ever happened."

Simultaneously, Del replied "Great idea, Care" and Richard replied "Fine with me", then they all got back to working the booth.

******

The doors to the convention had closed, the vendors were taking down their booths. Del, Caroline, and Richard were gathering their things before the loaders broke down the booth and took it and everything in it back to the office.

"Well guys, quite a convention, huh?" said Del.

"I'll say. I'm really looking forward to the trip back to New York" said Caroline.

"I'm not. You obviously haven't had the pleasure of a three hour bus ride from Atlantic City to New York before, have you?" Richard complained.

"No, I haven't" Caroline chuckled.

"Well, at least I made enough money this weekend to buy some new paint and brushes."

"Well Richard, I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"I'll be in late… Goodbye, Caroline. Goodbye, Del."

Del responded "See you around, Richard… C'mon, let's go Caroline."

Caroline and Del started walking hand and hand to the parking structure towards his Porsche. For Del, all was right with the world.

As she was walking, Caroline turned her head back towards the booth. There Richard stood, watching them leave. She grinned at him, he briefly waved. Uncharacteristically, he had a wistful smile upon his face. Somehow, both Caroline and Richard knew, work would never quite be the same.

**The End**


End file.
